The fourth edition of the Peggy Lee series From The Vaults has been released today, highlighting rare jazz collaborations and vocal duets from the iconic singer-songwriter’s career.
The new release features thirteen tracks recorded between 1947 and 1967, including duets with then-emerging vocalists Dean Martin and Mel Tormé, homages to TV characters Batman and Mr. Magoo, and some of Lee’s own compositions. This fourth volume marks the final installment of the From the Vaults digital series. With its release, Lee’s entire catalog of master recordings from the Universal family of labels (Capitol, Decca, A&M, and Polydor) are now available via streaming.
From the Vaults (Vol. 4) features a variety of fascinating moments in Lee’s career, including collaborations with celebrated jazz artists George Shearing and Toots Thielemans. Lee’s 1948 duet with Dean Martin, “You Was” had been previously released, but it’s updated here with improved sound quality. There are also a number of songs where Lee is backed by vocal groups (a rarity in Lee’s lengthy career). You can hear Lee with the Guadalajara Boys on “When You Speak With Your Eyes,” a song co-written by Lee. (Six of the collection’s 13 tracks were written or co-written by Lee in an era when popular and jazz vocalists rarely wrote the songs they recorded.)
Last year, in addition to releasing three editions of the From The Vaults series, Peggy Lee was honored by The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars. The year before, an expanded 60th anniversary edition of I’m a Woman was released.
Listen to Peggy Lee’s From the Vaults (Vol. 4) now.